Atiku Denies Barring Journalists From Delegate Meeting

Atiku Abubakar

Presidential hopeful, Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday debunked reports that he walked journalists out of his meeting with the Peoples Democratic Party delegates in Jos, Plateau State.

The former Vice President last week, reportedly arrived at the Jos PDP secretariat and ordered journalists out angrily, allegedly saying he had no nothing to do with them.

However, Atiku in a statement on Tuesday, by his Aide on Youth and Support Groups, Aliyu Bin Abbas, described journalists as critical stakeholders in the nation that cannot be overlooked, while assuring that he would investigate the alleged barring of media practitioners from his visits to some North Central states.

Atiku who said he was saddened by the reports that some journalists who covered his visits to the North Central states of Benue and Plateau were not granted access to him by those at the venues of both visits, claimed he was not aware of the separate incidents, allegedly done by security operatives in both states.

He explained that security personnel of the presidential aspirant just brought it to his notice that some security personnel barred journalists in Makurdi from covering his visit to see stakeholders.

Atiku claimed he was not sure if the policeman was one of those attached to the Deputy Governor of Benue State or one drafted from the state Command for the visit

He said he had always been an advocate of press freedom and has promoted the media industry in Nigeria in many ways, including setting up media outfits, where thousands of journalists are gainfully employed.